UK medical degrees are recognised by ECFMG. If you hold GMC full registration from a UK medical school, your degree is listed in WDOMS and meets ECFMG eligibility requirements. The pathway is clear — the question is whether the trade-offs justify the move.
USMLE Requirements
Pass Step 1 (pass/fail), Step 2 CK (scored — this is what matters for applications), and Step 3 (typically before or during PGY-1). OET or equivalent English proficiency evidence is also required, though native English speakers from UK training rarely find this challenging.
Content Overlap
Significant overlap between UKMLA/MRCP and USMLE Step 2 CK — approximately 70% of clinical content is shared. The core pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management principles are universal medicine. Key differences: US-specific pharmacology (brand names, FDA-approved medications unavailable in the UK), US screening guidelines (USPSTF vs NICE — different age cutoffs, different screening intervals), medicolegal content (US malpractice framework vs UK GMC fitness-to-practise), and US-specific preventive medicine protocols.
Financial Comparison
UK FY1-2: £32-40k. US PGY-1: $55-65k. UK consultant (5 years post-CCT): £90-120k. US attending (first year): $250-500k+ depending on specialty. The gap is real but partially offset by malpractice insurance ($5,000-50,000+/year), higher taxes (federal + state), family health insurance, and significantly higher cost of living in most US metropolitan areas. The salary gap is largest in procedural specialties and smallest in primary care.
Visa Pathway
UK doctors typically enter on J-1 visas — the 2-year home country requirement applies but can be waived through Conrad 30 or other programmes. H-1B is an alternative but requires Step 3 completion and programme sponsorship.
How to Leverage iatroX
If you already use iatroX's free UK Q-bank, you know the adaptive engine. Switch to the US Q-bank ($99/year) for USMLE-specific content — same platform, same spaced repetition technology, different curriculum.